Planning a corporate retreat from start to finish (12 steps)

There’s something special about corporate retreats. A change of scenery, shared meals, conversations that couldn’t start anywhere else.

These moments can transform how a team works together for the rest of the year. But the magic people remember always comes from thoughtful planning long before anyone steps on a plane.

Let’s break it down for you!

Why choose Surf Office when planning a corporate retreat?

After more than ten years organising retreats for companies of every size, we’ve discovered the patterns, the pitfalls and the things that make an off-site run effortlessly instead of chaotically.

To make sure this guide outlines each step properly, it was reviewed by our senior retreat planner, Romane Lebrec-Foulatier. She’s planned more off-sites than most people have attended. You’ll find her pro tips later on, but the core idea is: great corporate retreats don’t happen by accident. They happen when someone experienced is steering the ship.

That’s exactly what we want to pass on here: a 12-step plan to create a corporate retreat that won’t be forgotten any time soon.

12 Steps to build a fantastic corporate retreat

Follow these 12 steps in order, and you’ll go from “where do we even start?” to a corporate retreat that runs so smoothly people will think you hired a full production crew.

1. Secure the venue before anything else

Before you picture the team doing sunrise yoga or clinking glasses at sunset, you need one thing sorted: the venue. The right venue is the backbone of the entire retreat. Everything else, your agenda, your activities, your meeting flow, even the retreat’s personality, depends on where you choose to take your team. 

Different goals = different venues. A leadership reset needs calm. A fun corporate retreat needs a destination with plenty to do. A global meetup needs somewhere easy to reach. (Our collection of locations is a good place to scout ideas).

Lots of teams treat the venue like a checkbox, but once the wrong space is booked, things don’t seem to line up. Get the right venue first, and the rest of the planning becomes a breeze.

2. Announce the retreat early and collect RSVPs

Once your venue is sorted (or at least shortlisted), it’s time to lock in the dates. This part matters more than people expect, because the best retreat venues vanish quickly, especially in peak seasons when everyone else is planning their own off-sites.

Announcing the retreat ahead of time helps people arrange childcare, organise travel, reshuffle workloads and avoid that “my calendar is on fire” feeling. It also prevents you from colliding with busy internal periods, product launches, or holiday seasons that send attendance into freefall.

If you’re working with a global team, double-check international holidays and time zones. You’d be amazed at how many retreats accidentally land on someone’s Independence Day.

Choose dates that fit your retreat’s purpose. A wellness-focused retreat lands better in warmer months; a strategy-heavy meetup works perfectly in quieter periods. Set the right dates, collect your RSVPs, and you’ll build a smoother plan from that point forward.

3. Lock in your goals and sketch the first agenda

Before you dive into the fun part (teambuilding activities, meals, sunset anything), you need to get crystal clear on why you’re hosting this retreat. Goals shape almost everything about your retreat, your schedule, your venue layout, the energy of the days and even the kinds of conversations teams end up having.

Start simple:

Is this retreat for strategy? Reconnection? Culture-building? Kick-off planning? A wellness reset? A mix of a few?

Once your goals are defined, try sketching a “first draft” agenda. It doesn’t need to be perfect, just a rough outline of what you really want from your time away. It should be the foundation that the entire retreat rests on. When your goals are clear, every decision becomes easier.

4. Gather attendee details and sort the travel admin

Once your dates are set and the team knows the plan, it’s time to collect the details that make the logistics work. This is where retreats can get messy fast, so keep your eyes on the details.

Start by sending a simple form to every attendee. You’ll want the essentials: 

• Full name
• Travel origin
• Preferred airport
• Dietary requirements
• Accessibility needs
• Rooming preferences
• Emergency contact details

If your team spans multiple countries, double-check passport validity (you’d be shocked how many are expired when a retreat rolls around). Having this info up front means you can start shaping room lists, travel plans and vendor coordination without endless back-and-forth messages.

5. Curate activities that match your retreat goals

This is where your corporate retreat really starts to take shape. The activities you choose will influence the energy of the whole time away. Make sure you’re choosing activities that support the purpose of your retreat, not distract from it.

If your goal leans toward wellbeing, you might want to design your package in the style of corporate wellness retreats, focusing on grounding activities like yoga, breathwork and slow mornings, rather than packed agendas.

When possible, match your activities with your location. A beach retreat begs for surf lessons or coastal hikes. A city retreat opens the door for cultural tours or food experiences.

Aim for variety, not overload. The right activities create shared memories, the kind people talk about long after the retreat ends.

6. Plan meals everyone can enjoy - no surprises

Food can make or break the retreat mood, so getting this part right is worth every minute. Good meals make people feel taken care of and give your teams natural moments to bond (some of the best retreat conversations happen over breakfast, trust us).

Start by gathering everyone’s dietary needs, like allergies, intolerances, cultural diets, and preferences. Then share these details with your venue or catering team well ahead of time so everything can be planned safely and smoothly.

Think about balance: hearty breakfasts, energising lunches and dinners that feel like a reward after a full day. Mix sit-down meals with casual options like street-food stops or group picnics, depending on your destination.

And whatever you do, avoid the “we’ll figure it out when we get there” approach. A little planning turns mealtimes into one of the retreat’s biggest highlights.

7. Double-check every hotel detail before signing off

Before you confirm anything with the hotel, go through every detail with a fine-tooth comb. A venue might sound perfect on paper, but small details often decide whether your retreat is seamless or stressful.

Check the basics first: room types, bed arrangements, meeting-room capacities and Wi-Fi reliability. Then look at the less obvious things: how far the rooms are from the workspace, whether there are quiet areas for calls, noise curfews, pool access hours, and how flexible the venue is with schedule changes.

Don’t forget the practicalities that teams always care about: is breakfast included, are there hidden fees, does the hotel allow early check-in for long-haul travellers, and are you guaranteed the spaces you need at the times you need them?

A final run-through now prevents awkward surprises on-site later. Once everything checks out, then you sign.

8. Secure vendors and add-on services

Once your venue and activities are all sorted, it’s time to lock in the extra pieces that turn a retreat from “nice” into “unforgettable.” Activities, facilitators, photographers, wellness instructors, boat rentals, team-building providers: whatever you need, start reaching out.

If you’re planning something more premium, consider adding services like guided tours or expert-led sessions. The best venues for luxury corporate retreats will give you the run-down on special extras to include.

Always double-check logistics: timing, group size limits, transportation, refund policies and whether vendors need access to hotel spaces. One missed detail can throw off an entire weekend.

Your vendors are like your “supporting cast” of the retreat. Get the right ones, and the whole experience becomes electric!

9. Coordinate transport once your attendee list is confirmed

Once you know exactly who’s coming, it’s time to tackle transport. This is the part of retreat planning where small details make a world of difference. Flights, trains, airport transfers, arrival windows… it can get confusing fast if you don’t stay on top of things.

Start by mapping out where everyone is travelling from. If your team is global, grouping people by region makes coordination far easier. Some companies even choose a “hub city” for everyone to fly into before continuing together. This might become helpful for reducing costs and keeping the experience cohesive.

Next, lock in airport transfers. This is one of the biggest stress relievers for attendees. Nobody wants to land in a new country and figure out taxis after an eight-hour flight. Shared transfers, shuttles or private buses keep everyone moving smoothly and on schedule.

Be sure to communicate arrival instructions clearly. Where to meet the driver, what time shuttles run, and who to call if a flight is delayed. These will also need to be factored into your retreat budget, and for that, we have a handy budget planner to make things easier!

10. Finalise the full agenda and retreat flow

Now that your travel, attendees and logistics are all locked in, you need to shape everything into one clear agenda. 

It’s best to map out your anchor points, like key meetings, workshops, leadership sessions or all-hands moments. Then build the rest of the schedule around them. The best agendas balance focused work with breathing room, so resist the urge to pack every hour. Your team will thank you for that.

Make sure every session has a purpose. A retreat is definitely not just a longer office day in a pretty location. Each block will support your goals and bring people closer together.

Lay in your meals, breaks and downtime. Follow a rhythm, something like: mornings for focus, afternoons for creativity, evenings for bonding. After that, leave some space for any spontaneous moments. The magic really can come in those moments.

Share your near-final version with your key stakeholders, adjust, and lock it in.

11. Prepare all internal communications and participant info

With your agenda nearly polished, it’s time to make sure everyone else is just as informed as you are. Clear communication is one of the biggest factors in a smooth team retreat. It removes guesswork, reduces stress and helps your team arrive feeling prepared, not confused.

Create a simple information pack. This can be a PDF, Notion page, Google Doc or whatever your team usually uses. Include essentials:

• Retreat dates
• Location and venue address
• Travel instructions (flights, transfers, check-in times)
• Packing tips (weather, activities, dress codes)
• Agenda highlights (key sessions, free time, must-knows)
• Any prep needed for workshops, meetings, or presentations

Then think about getting answers for the more unique parts of your company retreat. What’s the dress code? Will there be WiFi? Are meals included? Is there free time? The more you answer upfront, the fewer frantic messages you’ll receive the week before departure.

If you have multiple teams or departments attending, coordinate with internal leads to ensure the messaging feels consistent. And don’t forget reminders, as a well-timed nudge a week before the retreat works wonders for keeping everyone aligned and ready to go.

12. Run final checks and get your onsite materials ready

Before the retreat kicks off, a quick round of final checks will save you from last-minute scrambling. Make sure everything essential is confirmed, aligned and ready to go. Start by reviewing everything that matters: your agenda, attendee list, room allocations, transport times, activity bookings and meal reservations. Make sure each piece lines up cleanly, no overlaps, no missing details, no “wait… who’s picking them up from the airport?”

Now that your final checks are in, get all of the materials needed for your retreat:

• Printed agendas and/or digital access links
• Rooming lists for organisers and onsite reps
• Name badges (if you’re using them)
• Activity sign-up sheets
• Workshop materials (pens, stickies, flipcharts, etc.)
• Tech gear: adapters, clickers, HDMI cables, chargers
• Any branded items or welcome gifts
• A small “issues notebook” for jotting down fixes on the fly

Now is the moment where all your planning pays off, the part where you finally get to enjoy the retreat with your team, instead of running it for your team. With everything prepared and checked off, you get to arrive as the person who planned a retreat for the ages!

Pro tips from our retreat expert, Romane

After organising hundreds of retreats, Surf Office’s own Romane Lebrec-Foulatier has seen what makes a retreat run beautifully… and what makes one fall apart. 

To help your team avoid the classic pitfalls, she shared her top planning tips:

Collect all attendee information in one go

Most teams underestimate how much information they need from their attendees. This leads to endless follow-up emails. Instead, her tip is to create one central form that includes:

• Names
• Flight details
• Arrival/departure dates
• Diets & allergies
• Phone numbers
• SWAG sizes
• +1 information
• Any venue-specific requirements

Getting these all down in one form results in zero chaos later.

Build more buffer time than you think you need

An overstuffed agenda is one of the fastest ways to ruin a retreat. Her key tips to cover time management issues are:

• Don’t start an 8 am meeting if people travelled 10 hours the day before
• Avoid scheduling a food activity straight after lunch
• Don’t leave just 15 minutes of “free time” between a long meeting and dinner
• Expect delays (weather, transfers, extended sessions, they happen)

She knows how a retreat without breathing room can quickly become nightmarish.

Don’t try to fit too much into the schedule

One of the most common retreat mistakes is trying to squeeze in every idea, activity and workshop “because we’re all finally together.” Romane sees this all the time, and it usually backfires.

Her rule: choose the moments that matter most, and let the rest breathe. A lighter schedule almost always leads to a better retreat atmosphere, deeper conversations and happier attendees.

Pre-book key activities before they disappear

Another issue Romane flags often is waiting too long to confirm vendors, restaurants or activities. Teams sometimes go back and forth internally for weeks — only to find out the cooking class, boat tour or group dinner they wanted is fully booked.

Her advice: secure the core elements early, even if you only commit to a basic package or minimum spend. Lock in the spot now, and fine-tune the smaller details later.

This simple move protects your schedule, avoids last-minute scrambles, and ensures you don’t lose the activities your team was excited about.

Organize the ultimate retreat with Surf Office!

Even with the best checklist, it’s surprisingly easy to forget something important: a last-minute diet requirement, a missing airport transfer, an activity that sold out while everyone debated it on Slack.

At Surf Office, we’ve spent more than a decade organising retreats that run smoothly from “let’s do this” to “let’s do this again next year”. Our team handles the details, the deadlines and the dozen moving parts you shouldn’t have to worry about.

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Here’s what we offer:

• Stress-free transfers? We got you! ✅
• Quality-assured accommodations? Check! ✅
• Engaging team-building activities?Our specialty ✅
• Restaurant reservations? That's on us! ✅
• Expert retreat planning assistance? Of course, we have this covered! ✅
• On-site support, tailored to your needs? Absolutely ✅

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Not only this, but we also have access to 200+ locations around Europe, APAC, the US, Latin America, and now Africa, meaning the sky is your limit when it comes to choosing the right location for you and your team.

So if you want a retreat that feels organised, effortless and genuinely memorable, we’re here to help make it happen.

Spaces can fill up faster than you know! Get in touch with Surf Office and let us take the stress off your plate.

FAQs:

How far in advance should we start planning a corporate retreat?

Ideally 3 to 6 months ahead. Great venues and activities get booked fast, especially in spring and autumn. If you’re running a larger retreat, even earlier is better.

Which month is best to run a corporate retreat?

Spring and early autumn stand out as the top choices. September is the most popular month, with 18% of companies organizing their retreats then. The weather is more reliable, travel is easier and teams benefit more from a retreat after the summer period.

How long should a corporate retreat last?

Most teams get the best results for 3 to 4 days away. It’s enough time for bonding sessions and team activities without losing momentum or taking people away from home for too long.

How big should a corporate retreat budget be?

It depends on your destination, travel costs, accommodation and activities. Some price averages are around $2,000 and $4,000 per person for a multi-day event, but it really depends on what you pack in. We’ve actually created a retreat budget guide to help break it down.

How do I choose the right location?

It’s best to draft your goals up first, then you’ll have a better idea of a location. Need focus? Choose somewhere calm. Want team bonding? Pick a destination with lots to do. Planning a big global meetup? Look for easy flight routes.

Who is responsible for planning a corporate retreat?

Generally, an office manager, HR lead or executive assistant takes the reins. However, seeing how many variables there are in organizing a retreat, more companies are outsourcing the heavy lifting to retreat organizers. Surf Office has specialists with experience, making the process a lot smoother and less stressful for you.